I visited Spain from the 14th to the 23rd of July 2009 with my parents. Five days of this was spent birding.
We spent the first part of the trip in the Spanish Pyrenees, staying for 4 nights in the small town of Espot. Espot is very close to the national park of Aigues Tortes, which contains high peaks, beautiful lakes and pine forest. Of course as well as the birds we were there to find!
Espot was quite a drive from Barcelona airport, so we arrived at around 4:00pm on our first day. The drive produced little other than the odd Cattle Egret next to the road, a few Black Kites and some Griffon Vultures.
A look around the town before dark gave the first Black Redstarts of the trip, which were very common in the town, including some stunning males just next to our nice and comfortable hotel, Roca Blanca. A few Crag Martin wheeled over and swooped down to drink from a pond in the hotel’s garden. Next to the hotel, and running through the town was a relatively fast flowing river, adding to the picturesque nature of Espot. The river was frequented a Grey Wagtail or two.
The next morning we got the special taxi service of the National park to take us high up in to Aiges Tortes at about 7:00 am. We walked from the Amitges Refuge to San Maurici Lake. On the taxi ride up a Red backed Shrike sat next to the road, a cracking male but only saw it for a few seconds as we passed by. The highlights of a pretty quiet walk were an Alpine Chough and a flock of Crossbill in pines next to the Refuge. It was pretty barren around the Refuge where we started the walk but as we lost altitude pine trees began to take over. Mixed flocks produced Coal Tits and Goldcrests, and finally a single Crested Tit. The first I’d seen since Scottish individuals a few years ago so was pleased with this one.
The walk also produced a single Blackap, as well as Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Dunnock and Jay.
Later that day around the town the only birds I could manage were Great and Blue Tits, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, several Magpie and Blackbirds.
Day three had finally arrived, the day I had been waiting for as it was the first of five days with our bird guide Steve West. Steve (a fellow birdforum member) arrived in Espot at 6:30 am and shortly afterwards the birding began. Steve proved to be an fantastic guide. He was knowledgeable and brilliant with identification, as well as being an interesting, friendly and talkative chap. You couldn’t ask for more from a guide.
Steve drove us up to the beautiful old town of Estias where we spent the morning birding along the winding mountain road. The scrub held some great birds and the view down into the pine covered valley was stunning.
First off was a Green woodpecker calling from down the valley, although of the Iberian race Sharpei. Steve pointed out its subtly different call from the birds we’re familiar with in the UK. Next up was a Rock Thrush, a stonking male with a dazzling combination of blue and orange. It perched in a small tree before moving to a telegraph post, giving great prolonged views. A few minutes later Steve found a Wryneck perched in a bush a bit further down the road. I only saw it briefly and relatively distantly, before it left its perch and could not be refound. After hearing a call, Steve located a Bunting on power lines further up the hill. Scope views revealed it to be what I was hoping for- a Rock Bunting! Although a little distant, it’s crisp facial pattern of black, grey and white could clearly be seen.
The highlight of the rest of walk’s birding was two Red backed Shrike, both males, showing very nicely, as well as a Cirl Bunting. It was a very good morning’s birding, with three lifers- Rock Thrush, Wryneck and Rock Bunting.
After finishing around Estias, we drove back to the Aiges Tortes reserve in the hope of finding Citril Finch and Lammergeier. We entered a different part of the park, climbing pine clad slopes on the way. We stopped briefly to look at mixed flocks, mostly consisting of Coal and Crested Tits as well as Goldcrests. One of the flocks held a Short toed Treecreeper, seen well next to the track.
We reached a suitable parking spot and walked up to the Pla de la Font refuge. On the way up various parties of Citril Finch flew by calling. It was a long while before a perched bird was tracked down and good scope views had. Another cracker, and a lifer since Cosican Finch has been separated.
While walking towards the refuge, I spotted a large raptor coming distantly over the crest of a mountain towards us. Steve confirmed the id as my first Lammergeier! It carried on towards us and eventually passing right over the path, giving brilliant views of its diamond shaped tail and its beards were just visible. Later, it was joined by a second individual over the mountain peak, as well as several Griffon Vulture. The second bird was carrying a long, curved bone, which presumably was going to drop in order to expose the bone marrow within.
At the top of the hill above the refuge, a nice light morph Booted Eagle cruised over.
Around the pine trees and bare grassy slopes we added Song and Mistle Thrush as well as a single Nuthatch. We spent a good few hours in the forest here, a little longer than anticipated though as we got rather lost! We were searching for Black Woodpecker, Capercaille and Temgmalm’s Owl. Of course we didn’t find any of them! A consolation was nice views of various Crossbill flocks though, a male, female and juvenile all seen well.
We finished off the day with a stop in a town very near the French border called Isil . After expressing interest to Steve in seeing Golden Oriole, he had brought us here to search the poplar trees for them. A while of tape luring produced nothing, and no Dippers either that we hoped to find on Isil’s river.
Nice trip, well done with the Lammergeier, not easy mid summer.